The XMas TreeThe Tale of Mara’s First XMas Revised
by jackyyy17
Summary: Revised Six months after Union, Luke wants to give Mara a X Mas she’ll never forget, but can they make to X Mas when they are already having trouble with the tree?
1. Day 1:The Hunt For A Tree

**The X-Mas Tree or the Tale of Mara's First X-Mas**

by: jackyyy17

Summary:

Takes place about six months after Union, Luke wants to give Mara a X-Mas she'll never forget, but can they make it to that day when they are already having trouble with the tree?

Disclaimer:

I do not own any of the Star Wars characters.

**Day 1:The Hunt For A Tree**

Luke needed to find the perfect X-Mas gift for Mara. They had been married for a little over six months now, and with X-Mas less than two weeks away, Luke wanted to get Mara something special for their first X-Mas together.

Mara had also recently confessed to Luke that she had never celebrated X-Mas before. While being the Emperors Hand, Palpatine had never allowed such things, and afterward the habit had just stuck with Mara. This made Luke really want to find something special for her. After staying up all night pondering what would be the perfect gift, Luke finally got it. He knew that Mara wasn't into materialistic things, so instead of getting her a gift, he would help Mara experience X-Mas first hand. They would find the perfect X-Mas tree and decorate it together. The perfect plan.

However, Luke had no idea just how horribly, horribly wrong his holiday gift would turn out for Mara.

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The problems all started that morning. Luke, with his natural farmboy chrono, rose with the sunrise. He tried to let Mara sleep in. He really did. Mara wasn't a morning person, and he knew that, but his gift idea had gotten him too impatient. He knew that it wasn't in the way of the Jedi, especially with him being a Master, but for once he set aside that role and was just Luke Skywalker, the husband. That was his first mistake.

"Mara," he shook his sleeping wife softly, and then a little harder when she didn't stir. "Mara! Wake up, sweetheart. The sun is starting to rise, and I have a fun day planned for us."

"Go away, Skywalker," came her sleep heavy voice, her eyes still closed and her presence in the force floating back into sleep.

"Mara," he wined.

"I'm having fun sleepin…" Mara rolled the other way and submerged deeper into her covers.

"Oh no you don't," Luke pulled the covers away from her, revealing her slender form, clad in a green sleep-shift.

Mara shivered, and with a muffled groan, rolled out of the bed, and padded into the fresher, the door swishing shut behide her.

"Wait you'll miss the sunrise." Luke called after her. His only answer was the sound of the shower. He sighed and retreated to watch it himself. He had gotten Mara awake, and out of bed. That in itself was a major accomplishment.

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Mara finally came out of the fresher an hour later, dressed in her usual jumpsuit, this one green, and hair braided neatly at her back. Luke couldn't help but smile at the color of the jumpsuit. She was dressed in X-Mas colors and she probably didn't ever realize it.

As Mara sat down to eat her breakfast, a breakfast bar that reminded Luke far too much of ration bars with just a little more flavor.

It was time to put the first stage of his plan into action.

"Hey Mara, wouldn't it be fun if we went out today and got a pine tree?" Luke asked.

"Why would we want a tree in the living room," Mara asked around a mouthful of breakfast bar. "And what do you possibly need with a pine tree?"

"Well…"

"Wait, we ARE NOT and I repeat ARE NOT going to start a garden in our little home."

"Mara…"

"I can tolerate your garden on Yavin. The whole planet is mostly a garden anyway. But I will not tolerate one here."

"No, no, it's nothing like that." Luke walked over to Mara and embraced her. "You know that X-Mas is coming up, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"And part of the tradition is putting up a tree."

"Why?"

"It just is." He kissed her neck. "And I think this year we should participate in the tradition."

"Okay, so what do we need to do?"

"First off, we need to get a pine tree."

"No problem. I'll go get one for you."

"Mara, I was thinking we could go together."

"No really. I'll get it. Besides, how hard could it be to get a pine tree?"

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Later That Day

Mara sat at a small cantina and wondered what she had gotten herself in to. She had been out all day looking for a pine tree, but found that all the trees were either in someone's artificial yard, or in the public parks built upon the metal of the buildings. As she downed her third shot of Corellian Whiskey, Mara came to the conclusion that the only way to get a tree was to "borrow" one from one of the parks. Mara spent the rest of the day in the bar working out her plan.

As the sun set, Mara made her move. She made her way out to one of the less publicly known parks, which just also happened to have a lot of pine trees.

Mara scouted the park, trying to find the best tree. There, just beyond a rather large lake, stood a shapely pine that was just the right height. Mara started to go around the lake, but when she realized it was frozen, and after testing it, decided that the lake could hold her weight.

Walking slowly across the ice, so she wouldn't slip, Mara made her way to the tree. It was dark by the time she finally got there. Mara retrieved her new lightsaber, which Luke had recently convinced her to build, and tried to activate it. Nothing happened.

"Blast this malfunctioning piece of machinery, why won't you work?" Mara tried to activate it again. Still, nothing happened.

Getting frustrated, Mara slammed her lightsaber against the tree a few times. This time when she tried to turn it on, smoke poured out of it, and it started to spark. Mara was able to get the weapon away, just as it exploded, a purple light illumination the lake.

"Hey, who's out there?" came a voice from a small cabin close by. "You no good kids tryin' to steal my tree again, are you? Well I'll teach ya, I'll teach ya good."

Out by a small hut that Mara hadn't seen rang out a blaster shot. Only Mara's finally tuned danger sense was able to keep her from being hit. She ducked down, and rolled into a standing position, and took off running. She didn't have a lightsaber after all, and Luke had made Mara promise not to shoot anybody unless absolutely necessary.

"Blast you Skywalker," she cursed as she hit the lake at full speed, almost slipping several time. She was almost to the end of the lake when she encountered the spot where her lightsaber had exploded and melted the ice. Mara went straight through the ice, a line of curses following. But at least the guy had stopped shooting at her.

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Luke was getting worried, when Mara finally made it home. She came through the door shivering and soaking wet. Luke quickly scooped her into his arms and sat her next to the fireplace. "What in the Sith Lord's name happened to you?" he asked.

"I'll tell you what happened to me. I tried to get you that tree you wanted, that's what happened to me!!" Mara was all but yelling at this time.

"Well," Luke asked, "Where is it then?"

"Luke do you realize that there are no trees growing on Coruscant. How do you expect me to get something that isn't there?"

"Well, did you ever consider going to a place where they sell them?" Luke's patience was wearing then. It wasn't his fault that she was wet.

Mara gave in a look of disbelief, before she stormed off to bed, locking the door behind her.

Luke sighed. "Looks like I get to sleep on the couch."

TBC


	2. Day 2: And Then Come the Lights

**Day 2: And Then Come the Lights**

The next morning Luke was up before sunrise again. He quietly snuck into the bedroom, which had become unlocked sometime during the night, "Looks like Mara isn't mad at me anymore," and went to get cleaned up.

When he was showered and dressed, he quietly left the apartment, and went to purchase a X-Mas tree.

By the time got home and had the tree up, Mara was just starting to stir. "See darling, isn't it pretty!" Luke quickly added, "You're not still mad at me, are you?"

Having a full night's sleep, and not being woken up too early, Mara had found that she wasn't mad at him anymore. "No, I forgive you. And you're right. The tree does look okay in here." When Luke started to smile, she added sternly, "Only for the holidays. After that the tree better disappear."

"I promise."

"Ok, then. What's for breakfast?"

Luke hesitated. "Well, I figured that we could go out today. You know, grab a quick bite to eat at the "Spicy Corellian," and then go over to the mall to buy decorations for the tree."

"What for? I think the tree looks fine just the way it is. Besides, who wants to decorate a shrub?" She playfully responded.

"Mara, for one thing, it is a tree not a bush…"

"I didn't call it a bush."

"Or a shrub, or whatever. It's a tree. Hapan Spruce, to be exact. And second, everyone knows that a X-Mas tree is supposed to be decorated. Its part of the holiday tradition."

Mara eyed the tree skeptically. "And what exactly are we supposed to decorate this shru… I mean tree with?

Luke smiled. "Well, there are lots of different things you can put on them. Ornaments, popcorn strands, garlands, X-mas lights, you name it."

"Don't you already have these ornaments, from previous years?"

"Nope. I was always usually away, or at Leia's so I never had need for putting up a tree. But this year is special. This year I have someone special to share the holidays with." He pulled her into his embrace, and whispered in her ear, "Now come on, it will be fun."

Mara couldn't help but shiver. "You promise?" She whispered back.

"I promise." He smiled. "Now get dressed, and let's go."

Reluctantly, Mara left Luke's warm embrace, and headed to the bedroom. "Yeah, yeah, promises, promises."

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"So, where should we go first? What should we be looking for?" Mara asked, and she and Luke wandered through one of Coruscant's biggest and most crowded malls.

"Well, let me think…" Luke trailed as if in deep thought.

"Oh no, don't tell me. The great Jedi Master doesn't have the slightest clue of what to look for, does he?" Mara playfully taunted, trying to hold back her laughter that threatened its way up.

"Well, we could always buy that holobook, you know, the one they make for stupid people: 'X-Mas Trees for Dummies.' I'm sure that would help us." Luke playfully taunted back.

"They make such things?"

"Sure, why not. They make one for just about everything else. Personally, my favorite is 'Courting Red Haired Imperial Hands For Dummies'"

"I wonder why," Mara was openly giggling now, something that Luke found all too rare. Perhaps the holiday spirit was getting to her to."

Luke found the store map, and added. "Well, it's not the right book, but this should help."

"Good idea." And always being the practical one, Mara added, "Now what's the plan"

"Well, first things first, we need a couple strands of the X-Mas lights." Luke said while searching the map. "And I think this will be just the place to get them," Luke added as he pointed to a store called Jia Jia's Lights Emporium. "It says here that they sell every type of light source known in the Galaxy. There's bound to be something in there for our tree."

"Okay, sounds like a start, but why do I get the feeling that this store is going to be trouble?"

"Oh come on Mar, it can't be bad." With that they headed to Jia Jia's Lights Emporium.

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As soon as they walked through the door, and were greated by the store's owner himself, Jia Jia Tanks, a tall, lanky orange-skinned Gungun, with fin-like ears Mara knew that they had made a mistake.

"Hisa, howsa can mesa help yousa today sa?" Jia Jia asked. (Translation: Hi, how can I help you today sir?)

"We are looking for X-Mas lights for our tree. You wouldn't happen to sell them here, would you?"

"Oh, yesa wesa do. Follow mese. Isa show you the waysa." (Translation: Oh, yes we do. Follow me. I'll show you the way.)

Jia Jia lend them to the back of the store where there was a whole row devoted to almost every type of X-Mas lights in the galaxy. There were icicle lights, solid and multicolored lights, lights shaped like X-Mas objects, every type of X-Mas light imagined.

"Seesa, wesa have a tonsa lightsa." (Translation: See, we have a ton of lights.)

"Thank you for your assistance," Luke told Jia Jia, and started to browse the isle.

"You can leave now," Mara added, pointedly.

"Okiyeday, but is yousa needsa any help…" (Translation: Okay, but if you need any help...)

"I'm sure we'll be okay."

Jia Jia nodded, but as he turned to leave, he ran directly into the shelf.

"Luke," was all Mara was able to get out before the shelf came crashing down on Luke, Mara and the startled Gungan.

"Whoopsisdays" Jia Jia said, as Luke and Mara set the self back up.

"Is everyone okay?" Luke asked, bruching himself off.

"Yeah, we're both good." Mara went to help Jia Jia up.

"Mesa sorry."

Luke smiled. "That's okay. We still need lights and now you've gotten them all laid out for us."

Mara frowned. Leave it to Luke to find the good in a situation.

"Yousa needsa any help?" Jia Jia asked.

Luke smiled. "No thanks. I think we can find the lights ourselves."

"Okiday." The gungan turned to leave, and ran into the same shelf again, this time knocking it in the opposite direction, which in turn knocked down the rest of the shelved in the store. The sound of shattering glass everywhere. "Whoopsa"

Mara just shook her head. It was time to go before someone got hurt. "Luke, lets go. I'm sure there's another place to buy lights."

"Nosa. Don't gosa. Mesa givsa yousa a set of freesa lights if you staysa heresa." Jia Jia pleaded, tripping over something in the process. (Translation: No. Don't go. I will give you a set of free lights if you stay here.)

"Then its settled." Luke said in a calm voice, and returned to looking at the lights.

"How about these," Mara said, picking up the first box of lights, a neon, fuchsia in color, that she could see.

"Mara, those are a horrible color." Luke whined. "They have to be perfect."

"Fine, then you pick them out."

"Mara, let's do this together."

"Mesa help yousa! Mesa help yousa!" Jia Jia offered, tripping again, and grabbing on to Mara for support.

Mara shrugged the Gungun off, in the direction of Luke. "There you go, you have help." She smiled sweetly. "I'll just go wait outside the store until you two are done." Not giving Luke any chance to reply, Mara left the store.

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An half an hour, and several loud crashes later, Luke came out of the store with a shopping bag. "Did you find the "perfect" lights?" Mara asked in an exaggerated voice.

"Yep, sure did." Luke pulled out a box of multicolored lights that claimed to changed colors and showed them to her. "Do you like?"

"Yeah, they're nice, or whatever. So what's next?"

"Actually, we need to find X-Mas ornaments now."

"Okay, but lets eat first. It's already 1300 hours."

Luke's stomach grumbled in reply, and he quickly agreed. But then, Luke was never one to turn down food, anyway.

"But Luke, promise me one more thing."

"Yeah?"

"No more Gungans."

Luke couldn't help but laugh. "Agreed"

TBC


End file.
